When Hate is All You Have Left
by geekdad
Summary: As reality crumbles around Artemis and insanity creeps in, with her final act she intends to punish the one responsible with deadly intentions. T for cursing, and dark themes.


_Author's Note. This story just haunted me. I had to get it out of my mind and on paper. If I never write anything else, I will be the most proud of this one. Thanks to all the great people following the Heart of the Matter, your comments and reviews have been so rewarding. I know I said I was taking a break, but I had to get this one out. I hope you get the same feeling from reading this that I did writing it. R & R if you get the time. Thanks again._

When Hate is all You Have Left.

"Where is he? Where is he God Damnit. Show yourself you son of a bitch," she demanded standing on the edge of insanity.

The figure in black body armor with the blue bird draped across his chest stepped in the forefront, moving past his started teammates.

"Let him go please."

Tigress let off a deranged laugh. "Sure. You'll do some grand heroic gesture and take his place right? F*** you. You're going to hurt. Hurt like I hurt. I only wish I could have found that red headed bitch first, make this even more personal."

She had slipped in through the night. The call came days ago through a back channel, Nightwing needed to speak with her in private. Just like the last time. She was stunned he had the gall to contact her again, except this time she wouldn't give him the opportunity to spill his lies. She had been searching Gotham for days looking for her. When she bypassed the security system, the red head was the first one she sought out, but she wasn't at the cave that night, so the child would just have to takes her place.

"Artemis..."

"Tigress'" she hissed.

"Tigress," Nightwing calmly continued, "Robin didn't do anything. Don't punish him for what I did."

"That's just it. I'm not punishing him, I'm punishing you" she said holding the razor sharp blade closer to the young Robin's jugular. "I'm freeing him, freeing him from you and your toxic friendship."

The rest of the team slowly moved forward as Tigress maneuvered herself skillfully around them. She had no exit strategy; she had no need for one.

"I can't see you, you Martian whore, but the moment my brain tingles I'll have this orphan bastard's head right off his shoulders, then you can do anything you want to me. Lobotomize me like you did everyone else. I never expected to live long after this anyway," she laughed.

"Artemis..."

"Tigress!" she screamed on the verge of a total breakdown. "Artemis is dead, just like this one is about to be. Just like the one you took from me. We were perfect before you came. He begged me not to go. He begged you not to ask. Then you got both of us involved didn't you Dick. Some f***ing friend. You killed him you bastard, your best f***ing friend. He trusted you and so did I. God I was stupid. I was supposed to protect him. He was just so...beautiful," she whimpered, temporarily lucid.

"Kaldur didn't deserve..."

"Kaldur got what he deserved you prick. I just wished I could have finished the job. Where is that spineless traitor? Still in the med bay? I was hoping I would have been able to spend some time with him too, but Drake here will have to do."

She knew where everyone stood, noticing even their slightest movements. The moment someone made a mistake, she would make them pay. Her training was unmatched. She was deadly, but she knew the sheer numbers were against her. She had faith in herself that she could take one or two of them with her before she died.

Suddenly the Zeta Tube came to life. Recognize Kid Flash B-03.

Tigress laughed as the figure steeped out of the light, looking at her solemnly.

"Nice job J'onn, even got his eyes right too."

"Artemis let him go now."

"F*** you J'onn or Megan, whichever the hell one you are, all you slimy aliens look the same to me. Still following that selfish asshole's orders I see."

"Let him go now Artemis. Listen to me. I'm alive. I've been trying to find you for over a week. You ignored all our rendezvous points. That's why he called you."

"He's dead you sick f***. I saw him die," Tigress whimpered hysterically. "He tried to save me and I watched him die. Change your shape you f***ing coward. How dare you disgrace him like this."

"Artemis..."

"Tigress!" she shrieked with all the pain of a whaling banshee.

"Artemis look at me. I'm alive. It was part of the plan. You knew that. Think carefully babe, you knew it was going to happen. We worked on it together remember?"

"Don't you dare talk to me like him. Like you know one f***ing thing about me."

The redhead stepped towards her, as the assassin held the knife closer to the Robin's throat.

"I'm going to kill him. If you step any closer it's going to be slow and painful I swear."

"Artemis let him go!" he demanded in a voice that rocked her to her core. The alien was talented she thought.

"Why don't you speed over here and stop me?" she arrogantly smirked. "Can't fake that can you, you Martian f***," the chill in her voice echoing throughout the cave.

"I'm not going to do that. You're going to let him go and you're going to trust me."

He continued moving towards her carefully as the team began filing away slowly, following Nightwing's lead.

She knew the ploy too well, but the illusion of him disturbed her just the same. "Stay the f*** away from me!"

"Artemis!" He raised his voice for the first time. "Let him go now. I know you and this is not you. Not anymore."

"You don't know shit."

"Don't you dare talk to me like I'm a stranger. You look at me now. Look at me!" he demanded.  
"I'm alive. You knew were going to do this. We had to, or your cover would have been blown, and it was almost over. We practiced it remember. Think beautiful."

Tigress eyes began to tear up in confusion. "Wally?" she whimpered confusedly before snapping back into assassin mode.

"Babe we talked about this. You were worried you would fall in too deep and not be able to come back. I told you no matter what I would bring you back. I'm here."

Wally took one step closer and sighed. "I know you have the crossbow aimed at my heart. I see it just peeking through Tim's arm. I want you to shoot me."

The room sat in stunned silence

"Wally what are you doing?" Nightwing pleaded.

"Be quiet Dick."

"Artemis look at me. I want you to shoot me. I'd appreciate it if you missed my heart, but I'm not leaving here without you, one way or the other. We either walk out of here together or we both die tonight, but I'm not living another day without you. Do you understand me?"

He took the final step and the deranged archer fired the shot. With his speed he could have easily avoided it, but that was not his plan. He couldn't tell where it was aimed as it dug deep into his thigh. He dropped to his knees in pain, slamming his fist into the cave floor in anger.

Tigress watched as the red head brought his eyes to hers, his sad but determined emerald eyes searching for her heart. She watched as the blood poured from his leg.

"Wally!" she screamed dropping her knife and running to his side.

The last bit of her sanity crumbling away as her hands desperately sought out his face, kissing him deeply. Desperately.

"I missed you so damn much. I was so sick when I couldn't find you," he said as the tears began to flow from his green eyes. Any other time this rendezvous would have been beautiful had it not been for the violence that had preceded it.

Conner and Megan ran towards Wally with tourniquet and first aid kit in hand when Wally snapped.

"Get back," he growled? "Don't!" he warned the group as the archer helped the injured speedster to his feet.

With an explosion of anger he had held inside too long, Wally looked directly at their leader.

"This is your fault. This is why we left. You knew this would happen. She has clawed her way out of hell to get her life to where it is today. She has suffered more that all of us combined, but you still asked her to go back. Stay the hell away from us. All of you. If I ever see any of you again, I swear to god you'll regret it. We've given all were going to give. Don't ever ask again.

Artemis had her head cradled in his chest, afraid, docile, confused, desperately seeking his warmth and protection. The extreme opposite of the cold blooded assassin that almost spilled the blood of an innocent moments ago.

He held her tight and limped to the tubes entering in the small city in California they called home.  
She wrapped herself around his arms like a terrified child, completely unsure of her surroundings. Broken. All she knew was him. That was all she needed.

Nightwing knew Artemis would be held accountable by the League for what she had done to Kaldur, what she almost had done to Tim, but he also knew they would not cross the speedster. They would heed his warning and stay away. He would give his life to protect her, as she would him.

"Wally," she sobbed. "I want to go home. Please take me home, I don't like it here anymore." She could not get close enough to him. The person cradled in his arms was a frightened child, not the world class assassin who had gone so deep undercover that she teetered on the edge of insanity now.

Their reunion was heart wrenching to watch. They both looked so broken, but so beautiful at the same time. They had sacrificed their lives both individually and collectively to save the world, but the cost had been too high.

Dick watched his best friend and his wife walk away, knowing he would never see them again. He still had so much to say, so many thanks he wanted them to have, but he remained silent. Too much damage had been done. He hated thinking it, but he knew if ignored the speedsters warning, he might not live long enough to regret it.

As the blinding light burst from the tubes enveloping the cave, all that could be seen was their silhouettes, holding each other perfectly. Wally cradling his wife's exhausted but still beautiful face.

"We're going home now my love, I will never leave you again. I swear on my life."

They were never seen nor heard from again.


End file.
